African Politics in Comparative PerspectiveThis revised and expanded second edition of African Politics in Comparative Perspective reviews fifty years of research on politics in Africa and addresses some issues in a new light, keeping in mind the changes in Africa since the first edition was written in 2004. The book synthesizes insights from different scholarly approaches and offers an original interpretation of the knowledge accumulated in the field. Goran Hyden discusses how research on African politics relates to the study of politics in other regions and mainstream theories in comparative politics. He focuses on such key issues as why politics trumps economics, rule is personal, state is weak and policies are made with a communal rather than an individual lens. The book also discusses why in the light of these conditions agriculture is problematic, gender contested, ethnicity manipulated and relations with Western powers a matter of defiance. |
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actors African countries African governments African leaders African politics African societies agencies agriculture analysis approach argued associated become behavior benefits Botswana challenge chapter colonial powers comparative politics concept conflict constitution context continue country’s cultural definition democracy democratic dependency difficult dominant donor economic economy of affection especially Ethiopia Europe example field finance find first foreign aid formal institutions funds Ghana global Hyden important independence individuals influence informal institutions instance interest issues Ivory Coast Julius Nyerere Kenya land legacy modern movement Mozambique nationalist neoliberal NEPAD Nigeria Nyerere officials organizations party peasants perspective political leaders political science politics in Africa problem production reciprocities reflected reform region relations relevant rely role rulers rural Rwanda scholars sector significance social social exchange theory South Africa specific structural sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Tanzania tend tion typically Uganda women World Bank Zambia Zimbabwe